Starting device for engines.



J. 0. HOBBS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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Illllllll E dma/Mafwgwd jjj OGRAPH C0.,WASHlNnToN D c Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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1. o. Hoses.

STARTING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, |912- 1,150,033.

0LUMBKA. PLANQG lAlH C0 WASHINGTON, D. C

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-IFOH-N O. HOBZBS, Y0F CHICAGQ-ILLINOS.

STARTING DEVICE TOR ENGINES.

Specifcation'of Letters Patent. Paten-ted Aiig, 1'?, 1915.

Application led February 1, 1912. Serial No. 674,663.v

necessary -to give 'to the crank shaft an` 'ini-V tial rotation yof sufficient .extent to compress and then to ignite a charge ofthe explosive mixture in the cylinders. Usually this is done by .hand by means of a crank attached' to the end of the crank shaft of the engine.

This necessitates the leaving of his seat byV the operator and requires considerableleffort on his part to give to the shaft the necessary initial movement.

The'object of my inventionV is to provde a device voperated by fluid pressure which will impart to the crank shaft `the necessary preliminary rotation and .to start the explosions.

A special feature'of my invention is a cylinder containing a plunger which gives rotation lto the crank shaft by means of a chain or yother flexible element which is attached to the plunger .at one end and `to the crank at the other, the chain' being partially wound upon said crank in its normal pos`ition.

A further feature .of my invention consists of a fluid pressure operated clutch so combined with the above described starting f mechanism that .it will cause `the cran'kntor y The pipe'or tube 24 may be of considerable become *.drivably attached to .the shaft Y durf ing the period of action of thestarting device and to be disconnected therefrom when the operation .of starting `has been com-` pleted. f

A further object ofy my invention is to,

provide a fluid pressure operated starting device for explosive. engines vwhich will be' simple in constructon `and eflicent .and convenient in operation. f

Other objects will becomemore fully apparent in the followingspeciflcation when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation `partly in-sec.-k

tion. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the'line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Figi?) isa sectional 55 Vview of the valve mechanism showing the valves in certain operated positions. c c

SimilarV referencecharacters are 'used to designatesimi'lar parts in the several figures ofthe drawings. f6() 'The engine shaft is represented by kthe reference .numeral 10 and Xed ,thereto isa disk 11'. Adjacent this disk is another clutch element or disk 12 which isv looselyy mounted upon said shaft and which is clutched to said disk 11 during the period of operation of the starting device as will be more fully described below. i

A plunger 13 is given a' rectilinearrmovement in the cylinder 14 Vby fluid pressure, 70 this pressure ibeing transmitted to the clutch element by means of a chain 15. The chain 15 is flXed at one end yto said clutch element f. and 'to the Astem of the plunger 13 at its other end.V The chain is partly wound about the circumference of the circular member 46 attachedl'to said clutch element 12.

A va'lve 1G .controls the flow of airfrom a L reservoir '18 to the starting device. A pipe 19 leads from said reservoir to said'` valve. 8O A handlej20 is vrattached to said valve. yThe port 21 leads diametrica'lly through said valve and registers with the ports 22 and 23 inthe casing .thereof when the valve,` has been thrown to its' starting position, as V85 A Vshown in Fig. 1. A pipe 24 leads from this valve *to 'the head of the' starting cylinder l and connects with .a channel 25 in said head. Said valve with its 'handle 20 may 'be' located within vconvenient `reach of the operator of theautomobi'le and' lfor `that reason may be attached'to the body by any suitable means.

length and disposed in such a manner Vas will harmonize with the body structure. Y

The channel 25 divides into two other channels 126 and27 in the head of the cylinder. The channel 26 leads into the cylinder while vthe channel 27 leads to a valve 17, fitted .preferably into the head of thecyl- 10o inder. ,1A channel 28 leads diametrically through said valve and registers with a port 28a 'in the wall thereof to which is connected a pipe 29 leading to the'clutch previously mentioned. This valve is automatically actuated, as will be' described later, while the f valvelG is operated manually.y Y y rlhe valve 16 is provided with a port 3VO,

preferably disposed at right angles to the port 21. The port 30 is adapted to register with the port 23 when the handle 20 is moved to its normal position indicated by the dotted lines 32. I'Vhen the valve hasthis position the port 21 registers with the exhaust port 31. In this position the port 23 is open to the outside air, While the port 22 is closed. In the normal position of the valve, therefore, the Huid pressure from the clutch and the cylinder Will be released. The valve 17 in like manner is provided With a port 33 having a position preferably at right angles to the port 28.. The port 33 is adapted to register With the port 28a When the valve is throivn to its operated position inthe automatic release of the pressure from the cylinder, this position of the valve being indicated in Fig. 3. The port 28 then registers with the exhaust port 34.

` The fluid pressure in the clutch will then be free to escape.

rllhe valve 17 is provided with an operating lever to which is pivot'ally attached a connecting rod 36 leading to a lever 37. This lever is pivotally mounted on the cylindrical portion 38 of the frame Amember 54.

. rlhis lever 37 is actuated by a pin or lug 3,9

carried by the clutch member 12. The pin 39 strikes the lever after the predetermined extent "of movement has taken place and then carries said lever forward until the valve 17 has reached its release position. A pin 39a on the plunger stem`may be substituted for39. A buffer 60 is suitably located to receive the blow1 of the lug 61 carried by the clutch member 12. A spring 40 is attached at one end to said lever 37 and at ythe other end to any suitable fixed member, such as the pin 41. The function of this spring is to restore the lever 37 to its normal position and hence the valve 17 toits original position. The lever 37 is also provided With a handle 42 at its end to permitlits manual operation.

The chain 15 is attached at one end by a pin 43 to the disk 46. I preferably turn a rpair of the links of the chain at right angles to the chain and pass said pin through them and through said disk. In a similar manner I attach the other end of the chain to the plunger rod 45 by means of a pin 44. |Ihe plunger rod 45 is preferably a T-bar, its central Web serving as a convenient means for the attachment of the chain'while its head serves as a bearing for a guide roller i 49. The diskk 46 is preferably fixed to the clutch member 12 by means of posts 43 to How from the reservoir 1S through the ports 22, 21, 23, pipe 24 and channel 25 Where it divides and passes through channel 26 to the cylinder and channel 27 to the clutch. In the normal position of the parts the valve 17 has the positionshoivn in Fig. 1 thereby allowing the fluid to pass through the port 28'. A The arm 35 and lever 37 Will have the position shown in Fig. 1. The fluid pressure having entered the spiace 51 Will cause the disk 52 to engage the disk 11 and the friction thereby resulting will. enable the clutch member 12 to drive the crank disk 11. The ypressure having entered the cylinder behind the plunger 13, the chain 15 4will be placed under tension and rotation. of the disk-46 Will beeffected and hence the clutch member 12 Will be also rotated. Rotation Will continue until the pin or Alug 39 strikes the lever 37 after which said lever will be carried along until the valve 17is rotated suficiently to cause the port 2S to come into register With the outlet port 34.` Simultaneously therewith the port 33 will come' into 100 register with the port 28n and the fluid in the Aspace 51 in the'clntch will be released.

The clutch will thereby become' disengaged and the engine shaft Will be free to'l continue its rotation Without carrying the clutch ybe free to return to the normal position,

which it Will do because of the tension of the spring 55. The disk 46 and pin 39 will 110 clearly be carried with it. The spring`40 will cause the lever 37 to return to its orig inal position and the valve arm 35 by means of the connecting rod 36 will be restored to its original position. The reverse rotation of the clutch member 12 and disk 46 will cause the chain 1.5 to become reivound thereon and this in turn Will cause a return strokeof the plunger stem 45 and the plunger 13.

At the instant of release of the fluid from the clutch, the operator will restore the valve arm 2O to its normal position Whichiivill place the port 21 in register with the outlet port 31 and the port 30 in register With the port 23, thereby permitting the release of the Huid from the cylinder andpermitting the full return of the plunger' 13. rI'he operation above 'described will, of course, take place very quickly and the operator Will Yfind it necessary and convenient 'to re- 13G igifsogoss it to eect `the sta-rtingfaction.

it will be seen to be sufliciently subject to manual operation to cause it to be fully un-y der the control of the operator. My iniproved chain connection between the plunger and the crank clutcli affords a very effective and practical means for transmitting the rectilinear motion of the plunger to the rotatable engine shaft. rlhe difficulties encountered heretofore with rack and pinion mecl'ianism lare thereby obviated.

While l `have described my invention more or less precisely vas regards the details ofconstructiom'l do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as 1 contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

l here make cross reference to my copending application, SerialVY No. 668,114-, filed December 27, 1911, which relates to a starting device for explosive engines, dif-V fering in some respects from the device dis# closed herein. n

1 claim 1. In a` starting device for explosive engines, the .combination With'a shaft, of a` crank loosely mounted on said shaft, a cylinder and piston, a flexible power transmitting element connecting` said piston to said crank, a source of `elastic fluid under pressure, a clutch to connect said crank to said shaft, means to operate said 'clutch by elasticfluid under pressure, means to admit and to shut ofiq the admission of elastic fluid under pressure from said source simultaneously to said cylinder and said clutch operating means, automatic means for disengaging said crank from said shaft after a predetermined extent of movement of said shaft has taken place, and a spring to restore said parts to their normal condition.

'ines the combination with a shaft of ay g i a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft, means for applying fluid pressure to said crank, a fluid pressure operated clutch for lockino said crank to said shaft, amanually Y lWhile my improved starting mechanism is very largely automatic in its character,

operated valve mechanism for simultaneously controlling the application of fluid Vpressure to said crankand to said clutch `and automatic valve mechanism for releasingthe fluid pressure from said clutch.

1n a starting device for'ex'plosive engines, the combination with a shaft, of a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft,

"means for applying Huid pressure'to said crank, a fluid pressure operated clutch for locking said crank to said shaft, valve mech.

clutch, means formanually operating said valve mechanism to Vapply fluid pressure to said crank-and to said clutch and to release said uid pressure from said crank, and meansV automatically actuated by said crank for releasing the fluid pressure from said clutch.y y ,f f,

5.A lnai starting device for explosive engines, thel combination with 'a shaft,7of a crank mounted on said shaft, a flexible member attached tosaid crank, means for applying` power to said flexible member Aand there# by to rotate said shaft, means for automatically restoring said crank and flexible member Vto their normal positions, and automatic `means' for disconnecting said crank from said shaft after a predetermined extent of movement has taken place.

6.1n a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a shaft, of a crank loosely mounted on said shaft, a flexible member attached to said crank, means for applying power to said flexible member and thereby to rotate said shaft, means for 'simultaneously locking said crank to said shaft, means for/restoring said crank and flexible member to their normal positions, and means for automatically permitting the unlocking of said crank fromI said shaft after a movement of a predetermined extent has taken place. 7. In a starting device for explosive engines, theicombination With a shaft, of a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft, a flexible member attached to said crank, a plunger connected With said flexible member, a cylinder containing said plunger, a clutch for locking said crank to said shaft, means for supplying` fluid pressure to said cylinder and simultaneously operating said clutch to lock said crank to said shaft and for releasing the fluid pressure from said cylinder, and means for independently releasing the pressure from said clutch. d

8. ln a starting device for explosive engines, the combination `with a shaft, of a disk fixed upon said shaft, a disk loose upon said shaft adjacent said fixed disk, a flexible clutch member rigidly secured to said loose disk and adapted frictionally to engage said fixed disk, means for applying power to said loose disk and simultaneously admitting disk and said liexib e clutch `member and l fory discontinuing the application of power to said loose disk, and means for independently discontinuing the admission of fluid pressure to the space between said loose disk andA said flexible clutch member.

9. ln a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a shaft, of a disk fixed upon said shaft, a disk loosely mounted upon said shaft adjacent said lixed disk, a flexible clutch member rigidly secured to said loose disk 'and adapted to rictionally engage said fixed disk, a flexible member attached to saidvloose disk at one end, a plunger attached to said exible member at its other end, a cylinder in which said plunger reciprocates, manually operated means for simultatneously supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder and to the space betweensaid flexible clutch member and said loose disk and for subsequently releasing fluid pressure from said cylinder7 and automatic means for independently releasing fluid pressure from -said space.

10. In a starting device for explosive en- Copies of this patent maybev obtained for five cents each, by addressing the' Commissioner of gines, the combination with a shaft, of a disk a flexible'clutch member rigidly secured to said loose disk and adapted to frictionally engage said fixed disk, a flexible member attached at oney end tosaid loose disk, a plunger to which said yflexible member is attached at its otherv end, a cylinder in which said plunger reciprocates, valve mechanism controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the space between said flexible member andsaid loose disk and simultaneously to said cylinder and for releasing the fluid pressure from said cylinder, and means automatically actuated by a predetermined rotation of said loose disk for operating said valve mechanism to release fluid pressure from said space.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed Illy 11111116.

JOHN o. noBBs.

Witnesses HENRY A. PARKS, A. L. WALTON.

Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

